


An Unexpected Misunderstanding

by Dream_Seeker, stickdonkeys



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: A sassy hobbit and a stubborn dwarf fight and fuck. What more do you need to know?, BOFA AU: everyone lives, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, rage!Bilbo, rage!Thorin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-26
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-12-09 13:18:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/774647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Seeker/pseuds/Dream_Seeker, https://archiveofourown.org/users/stickdonkeys/pseuds/stickdonkeys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a confession of love goes unheard and misunderstandings begin to accumulate between them, Bilbo ends up fleeing Erebor in the middle of the night leaving a very confused Thorin to pick up the pieces. After a chase across the whole of Middle Earth leads them both back to the Shire will Thorin be able to convince Bilbo to return with him, and if so will he get more than he bargained for in the process?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Half Awake

**Author's Note:**

> Well, all, we're back! This time we have turned our attention on Bilbo and Thorin (Yes, we are disloyal, sue us) 
> 
> This time Thorin is written by the wonderful Dream_Seeker and I (Stickdonkeys) took Bilbo. 
> 
> We hope that you enjoy and would love to hear what you think!

It had been one brutal, agonizing week to put it lightly. After dealing with a dragon, being involved in one horrific battle, fighting off a few days of dragon sickness and then finally getting things moving forward more proactively, all Thorin Oakenshield wanted to do was lie down and sleep for a month. He had held in so much during the quest, had given so much during the final days and had finally gotten time to himself where he could lie back and not think about anything.  
  
He'd gone roughly eight months in the company of others, after all, dealt with stress greater than he ever imagined possible and even had a few moments where he almost wanted to give up and return to Ered Luin, but now that it was all behind him, now that they finally had Erebor, Thorin could finally relax.

And it felt good. It felt better than anything to lie upon the dusty bed in the room designated for the King - his Father had the room before disaster struck - and to not think about anything what so ever. They'd done it. To all those who claimed it couldn't be done, they actually did it. A little smile touched Thorin's lips as he closed his eyes, not even caring about the decades of dust which would come up every time he moved.

But his peace was not to last. Even if most of the company was content to leave the King in his well-deserved peace, Bilbo Baggins was the exception. He and Thorin had many things to discuss and he felt that they had been put off for long enough as it was. Not only was there still the matter of what Thorin had done under the influence of the gold-sickness to contend with, there were more ... urgent matters to address. Things that had been simmering for far longer than that.  
  
It was with that last matter in mind that Bilbo set out to find the King Under the Mountain and give him a piece of his mind. And his flesh if things worked out as he expected that they would. He was many thing. Thorin's opinion of him to the contrary, a fool was not one of them. He knew what the lingering glances he and Thorin had shared had meant. He also knew that not all of the King's frustration towards him had been from his lack of skills in the wilderness. It had been, at least in part, sexual.

He understood why Thorin had ignored the attraction between them during the quest. Relationships were messy enough things when there was no life-threatening danger involved and in the middle of a dangerous quest ... it would have been suicide. But now that things had calmed down and the dragon was slain and Erebor reclaimed, Bilbo fully intended to reap the reward he felt that he had earned. Even if such a reward was never part of his contract

**ooOO88OOoo**

Thorin was having the same dream which continuously plagued his nights for the past few years. In his dream, Thorin was standing on a small peak looking out toward Erebor in the distance. He was angry that Smaug had taken over their home and decimated everything in sight. He had lost everything - yet he always managed to see something dart by out of the corner of his eye and he'd try to chase after it as he knew it was important to him: far more important than even Erebor and all the riches it contained.  
  
But try as he might, Thorin could never catch up to the ...whatever it was. It always remained just out of sight no matter how quick he moved, how fast he ran or how ever he'd barter with it. He knew deep in his soul, his very fiber of being that this was the absolute most important thing to him.

When he'd be awake, the dream would be gone from his memories, but soon as he'd sleep, more often than not he'd be back upon the peak, knowing what was going to happen. He'd wake up and for a moment would find himself reaching out to grab what ever that precious thing was.  
  
This time in his dream, he heard something which had never been in it before. Someone was calling his name from a distance. Thorin glanced over, seeing that unidentified being once again and, knowing it was calling for him, he ran after it. As always, it remained just beyond his reach, teasing him, almost.  
  
"Thorin...." The voice was closer though still surrounded by fog and with a growl, the King lunged forward, reaching out - so close to grabbing the being. So close....  
  
He woke up sitting straight up in bed, his hand gripping Bilbo's wrist tightly.

Bilbo looked down at the large hand closed around his wrist in shock. One moment the dwarf had been asleep and the next he had lunged out of bed and closed around Bilbo's wrist like a vice. The hold wasn't painful but it was inescapable. He swallowed at the feel of Thorin's callouses against the skin of his wrist and wondered how they would feel against other, more sensitive, parts of his body. He shook his head slightly in an attempt to tamp down his desire. It would do him no good to dwell on such thoughts and rile himself up so that he came undone at the first intimate touch like a stripling. No. That would not do at all. If Thorin was agreeable he had a long night planned for the two of them. Instead he focused on more mundane tasks, like getting Thorin to release his wrist.  
  
"Thorin?" Bilbo asked, clearing his throat in an attempt to clear the sleep from the eyes of the King. "Are you alright?"

Slowly the sleep fog left Thorin and, in a semi daze, he looked at Bilbo and blinked. As his senses returned, the Dwarrow softly said with slight confusion, "Bilbo.... no.. I'm fine...." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and then realized he was holding the Halfling's wrist.  
  
Letting it go, Thorin groaned slightly. He'd just gone to sleep when he was interrupted. Vowing to put a 'Do not Disturb' sign on his door from now on, he rolled onto his side, propped his head into his hand and asked, "What did you need, Bilbo?"

Bilbo watched hungrly as Thorin readjusted on the bed to a more comfortable position. The groan was particularly arousing. It was a sound that he had never heard from the King before and had been so tempting ... Bilbo wondered what other sounds the dwarf was capable of. It took him a moment to realize that Thorin had asked him a question.  
  
"I . . . I was actually coming to look for you," Bilbo said. Now that it had come down to it, he wasn't sure how to tell Thorin what he had come to say. How was he supposed to do it? 'Oh, Thorin, I just woke you up to tell you that I have wanted you for some time now and that we're not about to be roasted or skewered I would like nothing more than to have you until neither of us can see straight.' No. That would never work. But Thorin was looking at him, waiting for more of an answer than he had given.

"There's something that I wished to discuss with you," Bilbo continued. "A renegotiation of the terms of my contract. I understand that it is now fulfilled and it is a little late for these things, but no one made the wealth of Erebor clear to me. There is no way that I can haul even a fourteenth of my fourteenth back to the Shire. I am at a loss. In place of the gold I can neither transport nor use I would request a reward of a different sort."

This was interesting and Thorin propped himself up more, a slight confused look on his face. "Renegotiate? If you don't want gold, what else is there? I suppose you could go speak with Ori. I'm sure he'd be delighted to write a lot about your deeds in more detail than he already has - and he has, knowing Ori - unless there was something else? Perhaps a valuable dagger? Or another sword? How about some armor? I'm sure there are some smaller pieces of armor which would fit you perfectly."  
  
'Come on Bilbo, out with it.' Thorin thought, just wanting to get back to sleep. He could feel his patience starting to fray slightly now that the adrenaline of the past week was now leaving his body fully. And if he didn't get sleep soon - decent, long sleep - he'd turn into a bear. Beorn at his worst would be fearful of the King were that to be the case.

Bilbo rolled his eyes at the denseness of the dwarf King. Thorin really believed that he would want glory or weapons or armor? What good would any of those things do him in the Shire? He already had the coat of mail that Thorin had gifted him and his little sword that would be sitting useless either in a chest or on a shelf at home. Why would Thorin think that he wanted some other useless bric-a-brac? _Dwarves!_  Bilbo thought with a snort.

"Yes, renegotiate," Bilbo agreed, his tone suggesting that he was explaining something to a very slow child. "And I would not force poor Ori to rewrite his tale yet again. He's written it three times already! No, whatever part he has written for me is probably overly embellished as is. And what use would the materials of war be to me in the Shire. No, I desire something else. Something that only you can give me." He raised an eyebrow suggestively hoping that Thorin would understand without him having to put it all out there and risk embarrassment if he was unexpectedly rejected.

Thorin took in Bilbo's words, a slight frown of concentration on his face. Only something he could give him? "You wish to be an Honorary Dwarrow?" It was the only thing that came to Thorin's mind. "Or to have your own quarters here, perhaps? That would work, I'd have no issues with any of those requests."  
  
He blinked, trying to ward off the incoming coma he was about to fall into. He was so _tired_  and though he truly wanted to know what the Hobbit wished, he just couldn't take much more of this.

Bilbo snorted at the newest suggestions. While he wouldn't say no to the quarters in Erebor if Thorin ever figured out what it was that he actually wanted ... and honorary dwarf? Was Thorin crazy? As it was, Bilbo was only there because he wanted to be and only had to follow Thorin's orders as he wished--now that his contract had been fulfilled that was. If he was to become a dwarf, even an honorary one, Thorin would become his king in more than just his mind and he would be _obligated_  to do as he was bid. No. That would never work. He enjoyed his abilities to defy Thorin too much to give them up.

"Neither of those things are what I desire of you either," Bilbo replied cryptically. "Though I wouldn't turn down the rooms. No, you need to think a bit harder. What I want is something that has always been in your power to give me. It was not contingent on us retaking the mountain from Smaug." Just in case Thorin needed a more _physical_ hint, Bilbo reached out and gently took one of the dwarf's large hands in both of his own and began stroking it.

Thorin was just looking at Bilbo through the eyes of a Dwarf who desperately craved sleep - and though he fully heard what the Hobbit had said, as soon as he took hold of Thorin's hand and started to stroke it, the King felt his eyes start to get heavier and heavier.  
  
A huge yawn left him and he muttered, "I very much want to hear what you wish to say, Bilbo, but I'm ready to pass out at any moment." His eyes closed but he forced them open, unable to even focus any more. "If you want anything.... tell Fili....he'll give it... to you... okay?"  
  
He couldn't help it and, figuring his explanation was good and an obvious 'by your leave' to Bilbo, Thorin's head hit the pillow and he relaxed, starting to fall into sleep again.

Bilbo stood there in shock. Had Thorin just ... they had been in the middle of a conversation and he had just decided that he would sleep! True, Bilbo had woken him up in the first place but this was entirely unexpected. And for him to ... Ask Fili, indeed! As if Bilbo could ask Fili for what it was that he craved from Thorin! His anger was only compounded when Thorin began to snore.  
  
"Blast you, Thorin Oakenshield!" BIlbo snarled as he attempted to free his hand from the hold that Thorin had placed on it in sleep. He was clinging to him like a child to his mother's skirts! "Will you let go of me! If you can't stay awake long enough for me to tell you that I would like nothing more than to pound you into oblivion then I will not be bothered with staying here until you decide that you want to wake back up an continue our conversation! Now release my hand you insufferable dwarf!"

Thorin opened one eye and was only able to comprehend something that he thought he heard but wasn't sure if it was snippets of the dream he was falling back in to.  
  
"What?" He got out, totalling missing the entire bit Bilbo said. He frowned at how Bilbo was trying to get away and loosened his fingers, letting the Hobbit free. "If you just allow me one hour.... I'll be fully there for you....mkay?"  
  
Bilbo had traveled with them that long and he should have realized that when a Dwarrow seriously needed sleep, nothing would deter them from it. It was just how they were and Thorin figured it was obvious to the Hobbit.

It wasn't. BIlbo was enraged that the dwarf would _dare_ say something like that to him in response to his declaration of intent. What did Thoirn think, that he could just put Bilbo off until it was convenient for him? If he was awake enough to hear the order to release him, then he had surely heard what had come before. Thorin knew that Bilbo desired him and was ignoring it. Thorin had rejected him. He felt strangely hollow and he knew that the smile on his face was just a shell.  
  
"Take as long as you need," Bilbo replied in a dead voice. "I'll just go see Fili about arranging travel for me to return home. I may not be able to take all of my reward with me, but I will take what I can. Enjoy your sleep." With that said, he turned and walked out of the room, feeling that he had left a piece of his heart behind.


	2. More Misunderstandings and Rash Decisions

Thorin woke quite refreshed after sleeping for more hours than he could count. It was already dark out and he sat up, stretching - before giving out a loud series of violent sneezes.  
  
He really had to clean up the dust in the place.  
  
The King rose from his bed, adjusted his clothing and left his room, intent on finding the others and debating what to do. Also, he had to find Bilbo. He vaguely remembered the Halfling needed to speak with him, but Thorin had been caught up in the deep sleep Dwarrows suffered when deprived too long. He would make sure to explain it to Bilbo once he saw him.

This time it was Bilbo that had no desire to be found. He had already spoken with Fili and even though the young heir had been both confused and hurt by his request, he had complied with Bilbo's wishes and had begun the preparations for Bilbo to return to the Shire.

Once that was done, Bilbo had found himself in the smaller chamber off the treasury that he had claimed as his own. There was no bed, but after months of sleeping on roots and sharp rocks with naught but a thin bedroll between him and the earth, a smooth stone floor was akin to a featherbed. He was currently curled into a miserable little ball on his bedroll and fighting tears at the rejection he had just experienced. It had hurt. So had Fili's expression when he had said that he was leaving, but there was no way that he could stay. No way that he could see Thorin every day and know that he could never have him. The King had made his lack of desire for Bilbo quite clear and the hobbit had no desire to stay where he was not wanted. No matter how much the idea of returning home to his quiet hobbit hole and being away from the dwarves that he had come to love like family broke his heart. He would miss them all terribly, but he couldn't stay. Not now that he knew the truth.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Thorin had found Dwalin first and discussed a few plans with him and then continued onward, seeking his Nephews. He found Kili eating something and, with a point, the Prince indicated that Fili was in the next room.  
  
Thorin nodded his thanks accompanied with an affectionate squeeze to Kili's shoulder as he passed, going to the next room where Fili was looking over some items left over from days of old. "Fili, I just had the best sleep ever. I feel like a new Dwarrow." He happily sighed, and then noticed the look his Heir gave him. "What is it?"  
  
"Bilbo isn't happy. Apparently he's leaving us immediately to return home."  
  
"Try that again?"

"He's leaving. Gave me no reason except that he wants his things ready to go as soon as possible - sooner than that as per his words, really - and ....where are you going?"  
  
"Finding Bilbo."  
  
"He's in his room."  
  
"I figured." Was Thorin's response as he made his way down the corridors, intent on getting to Bilbo to find out what the Hobbit's issue was. Hadn't he offered him anything he wished? Why would he want to leave so badly?  
  
  
Soon as he got to Bilbo's room, he just walked in, shut the door and gave the Hobbit an incredulous look. "Fili tells me you're leaving? Just going back to the Shire as if nothing happened? Why aren't you wanting to stay? I thought for sure you'd want to be here, celebrating with us. If it weren't for you, we'd not HAVE Erebor...."

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Bilbo snapped standing up to glare at the dwarf that had just barged into his room. He knew that it was Thorin's mountain but did the dwarf truly begrudge him the use of one little room in private? A part of his mind reminded him that he had done the same thing to Thorin earlier but he tamped it viciously down. He was angry and hurt and he didn't want to be swayed by logic.  
  
"And yes. I am leaving," Bilbo continued briskly. "I came with you to help you retake the mountain and we've done it. My job is done. My contract fulfilled. There is no reason for me to stay now. I'm going home." _Besides,_ Bilbo thought morosely, _nothing DID happen and it never will._

"I thought we all came to mean something more to you than 'just a contract'." Thorin was incredulous. "We shared bread together, we almost died together... Bilbo... you can't leave..."  
  
He was flabbergasted. "I'd give you anything you desire, Bilbo Baggins. All you have to do is ask! All I ask is you remain here."

"I already asked for what I want!" Bilbo yelled looking at Thorin incredulously, tears of rage in his eyes. "Y-Y-YOU didn't respond to it!" His rage went out of him as the truth of the rejection sank in yet again. He was suddenly very tired of it all.  
  
"In fact," BIlbo continued in a quieter voice, one that was barely audible, "you made it quite clear that I will never be able to have it. I thought that I meant more than I do to you as well. I see now that I was wrong. It's better for everyone if I just go home. I-I can't stay here, Thorin, not like this."  
  
After a brief pause he continued, his tone one of absolute misery, "I just want to go home. That's the only thing that I desire now."

"Wait. What? Was it while I was trying to sleep? Bilbo, I honestly heard nothing. Mahal, you must know when we get tired, we HAVE to sleep else we become bears. I.... what was it you said to me?" Thorin was horrified that something serious must have gone down and he'd been too out of it to realize.  
  
He took a step toward Bilbo and gently lied his hand on the Hobbit's shoulder, rubbing it with his fingers gently. "Talk to me. Please. I don't want you to go. Even when Erebor is fully populated, it'd be empty without you here."

It would be easy-- _so easy_ \--for him to take Thorin at his word that he hadn't heard what Bilbo had said and melt into the dwarf's touch. It was so tempting. To just allow Thorin to apologize and let them go back to how things had been before but Bilbo couldn't do it. Thorin was always his least guarded when he was on the edges of sleep. It the dwarf had any attraction to him it _would_ have come out. No, Thorin had just grown used to him and was trying to convince him to stay for his own benefit! He didn't want Bilbo but he didn't want anyone else to have him either. As that thought crossed his mind furry flooded his veins once more at Thorin's selfishness and he smacked the dwarf's hand away from him, not able to bear such a tender touch that didn't mean as much to Thorin as it did to him.

"No," Bilbo breathed glaring up at Thorin. "Do not touch me. I put myself out for you, in more ways than one, and you rejected me. You do not get to touch me and use what I told you against me just because _you_ have decided that you want me to do something that I do not want to. I won't be swayed like this, Thorin Oakenshield. I _am_ going home. Unless you intend to chain me up there is no way that you can stop me!"

Thorin's eyes widened in shock - Bilbo pushed his hand away!?? A breath escaped the King and he snapped, "I never ONCE rejected you, Bilbo. What nonsense are you even TALKING about? I remember you saying that you were done with the contract and then something else and ... I WAS TOO DEEP INTO THE SLEEP. I didn't GET that during the quest and in case you forgot, WE WERE IN A HUGE BATTLE I COULD HAVE DIED IN. No, you are NOT allowed to leave and that is a direct order, do you hear me? We are going to work this out if it is the last thing I do! You are going NO where. I will return."

With a glare which had an underlying deep hurt along with it, Thorin looked the Hobbit up and down, his heart pounding fast and turned, striding out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He went to find Dwalin to have him put guards up around Bilbo's room, just to ensure the Hobbit went no where. He knew it was wrong to ''imprison'' Bilbo but... he had no other choice at the moment. And surely Bilbo would have calmed and come to his senses upon Thorin's return.

 

**ooOO88OOoo**

Bilbo stood there for a moment in shock. Then what had been said sank in and he realized that Thorin had taken his last words literally. The king was going to physically prohibit him from leaving. He felt panic well up to take the place of the rage and hurt. Thorin intended to imprison him. He would never let him leave. H quickly sprinted to the door praying to whomever might be listening that Thoirn had not locked the door or barred it in some other way. He wouldn't be trapped here, locked away like another of Thorin's treasures to be looked at at his whim. No. Bilbo couldn't endure that. He had to flee.  
  
He was nearly weak with relief when the door opened freely. With a sob of gratitude at his luck he returned and hastily packed his things before slipping on his Ring and creeping out into the hallway in search of Fili. Even if the preparations were not done, surely there was some food that was packed and a pony he could have. He would leave at that moment. He couldn't risk doing otherwise. He _would not_ be Thorin's prisoner. Because for him to think something like that was acceptable behavior--even for a King--he must be mad again and Bilbo still clearly remembered what had come from his last bout of madness.

He passed a few members of the company on his way to Fili and Kili's room but none of them noticed his passing. It was with some trepidation that he stepped into the princes' room. He only hoped that this time they would be willing to aid him against their uncle or that he was able to elude them if they were not. Some of his shock was beginning to fade and in its place hatred was rising. He _hated_ Thorin for putting him in this position. He should never have had to fear his friends. Part of him wanted to go and find Thorin and finish their argument but the more sensible part of him wanted to flee before Thorin came looking for him and carried out his threat.  
  
"Fili? Kili?" he called when he realized that neither of them was in the front room. "Are you here?" And answering shout came from one of the other rooms before Kili appeared.

"Bilbo," Kili said in confusion. "What are ... are you alright?"  
  
"No," Bilbo replied. "I am very well not alright. I need to leave. Tonight. Where's your brother?"  
  
"At the stables, picking you out a pony, why?"  
  
"I need to speak with him. I know that I said that I would be going in a few days but it needs to be tonight. Will you take me to him?"  
  
Kili sighed. "Yes," he eventually agreed. "I'll take you to him if you will tell me why you are leaving. Do you hate us?"

"Fine, I will tell you," Bilbo said with a nervous glance at the door. How long would it be until Thorin realized that he wasn't in his room and came looking for him? "Can we go? I swear that I will tell you but we need to go!" With a nod Kili led him into the hall and towards the stables. Along the way Bilbo explained that he and Thorin had had an argument and that he had no desire to stay any longer. He left out the part about Thorin threatening to imprison him, he felt no reason to cause discord within their little family, but that he needed to leave and that he had just realized that if he did not go home soon he might have no home to return to. Eventually they reached Fili and Bilbo said his farewells to them both before he clambered on the pony and made his way to the settlement of men at the base of the mountain to beg food from Bard.

"If Thorin asks," Bilbo said quietly. "Tell him ... tell him that I said that I could have been happy here. _We_ could have been happy here. Together. If only he had made different decisions we could have been very happy." And with that he rode away as fast as the pony could manage.


	3. The Race Begins

Thorin had finally found Dwalin and it took forever. The guard wanted to know the ins and out because Thorin asking him to guard Bilbo's room was highly unnatural. He'd noticed the looks the two would share and figured they were in tight with the other. But he couldn't disobey his King's orders so with a nod, he walked off to gather some of the other guards to go to the Hobbit's room.  
  
It didn't take long before word came back to Thorin, who paled instantly. "What do you mean he's GONE?" He roared as he stormed to the room, stopping dead inside. It was barren of the meager items Bilbo had collected during the travels. "No...." Thorin got out and whirled, storming down the halls until he got to Fili and Kili.  
  
"Where is Bilbo? Where is he? He's not here!"  
  
"He left." Was Kili's reply as he glanced at his Uncle. "He had to leave on an emergency basis and took off a while ago."

"And you didn't STOP HIM FROM GOING?" Thorin roared and Kili jumped as Fili jumped into the commotion.  
  
"Uncle, let him go. He did not wish to be here; said you two fought and then told me to give you a message." Fili stated and Thorin just looked at him so he went on, "He said that he would have stayed and would have been happy here. YOU could have been happy here - I assume he meant together? You were rather good friends I think. Though sometimes you had a distance which I thought was odd. I remember when Kee and I were - "  
  
"The rest of Bilbo's message, please, Fili?" Thorin sighed and Fili nodded.  
  
"Sorry. He said you would have been happy here, if only you made different decisions, you could have been very happy. And then he took off faster than anything. I never knew our ponies could run that fast. I mean Uncle, it was .... Uncle?"  
  
Thorin was already gone.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Bilbo rode hard right through the sentries of the settlement that would become Dale. They did not challenge him. He was well known to them and even if they wondered why he was riding into Dale in the middle of the night as though the entire army of Orcs from the Misty Mountains were on his tail they assumed that he was just coming on business for the King Under the Mountain. Everyone knew that the hobbit and the dwarf were extremely close. He rode directly to the door of Bard's newly constructed home and rapped smartly on the door. When no answer came Bilbo repeated his knock more urgently.  
  
"Please, _please_ open the door," Bilbo begged his breath coming in sobs. He was about to knock again when the door was suddenly wrenched open and Bard looked around before glancing down at him in curiosity.

"Bilbo?" Bard asked, stepping aside to welcome the hobbit into his home. "What brings you down from the Mountain this late at night? Is everything well?"  
  
"No, Bard, I;m afraid that everything is not well," Bilbo replied trying to keep the quaver out of his voice. "I ... I need your help."  
  
"Of course," Bard replied wondering what had upset the hobbit so. "Come in and tell me what it is that I can do for you."  
  
"I'm afraid that I don't have time for that, Bard," Bilbo said desperately. "I don't even have time for this. I ... I'm leaving. Will you help me?"  
  
"Leaving?" Bard asked incredulously. He couldn't believe that the hobbit was leaving. BIlbo had stayed by Thorin through so much he had assumed that they were more than friends. For him to leave now, like this ...  
  
"Why?" Bard breathed.

"I do not have time for this," Bilbo said gripping the Man's hand. "Please. Help me. Time is essential and I need to be on my way. Will you aid me?" Bard was shocked at the panic that he saw in the hobbit's eyes. Something had gone horribly wrong for Bilbo to be this desperate and Bard would stake anything on the fact that Thorin Oakenshield had something to do with it.  
  
"I owe you much, Bilbo Baggins," Bard replied with a sigh. "And while I will hate to see you go I will do what I can to aid you. What do you need?" Bilbo breathed a sigh of relief as Bard agreed and took him to the food stores and packed enough to get him safely to Mirkwood and perhaps beyond if he was careful and quick.  
  
Once the pony was loaded down with his supplied and Bilbo was mounted once more, he turned to face Bard.

"I can't tell you how much your help means to me," Bilbo said honestly. "I just ... I can't stay here any longer. Thank you for helping me to return home."  
  
"May I ask what happened to make you leave in the middle of the night like this? The journey would be much easier to undertake under the sun."

"It would," Bilbo agreed. "However if I waited for the sun I fear I would never leave. Farewell, Bard. I hope that we meet again someday."  
  
"Farewell, Bilbo Baggins," Bard replied. "If you ever do return I will welcome you as a friend."  
  
"I will bear that in mind," Bilbo said with a smile. "If-- _when_ Thorin asks if you saw me ... tell him what you will. Hopefully I will be long gone before he misses me. And if you decide to tell him that you aided me will you also tell him that I ... that I will always miss him?"

"If Thorin comes I will deliver your message," Bard replied placing a gentle hand on Bilbo's shoulder. "Safe travels, my friend." At that Bilbo rode away once more, Bard wondered just how long the poor pony could keep such a pace but hoped that it was long enough to carry Bilbo safely away from whatever it was that he was fleeing. He didn't bother to go back to bed. He knew that soon Thorin would come and he would only be roused once more. Instead he sat at his table and looked over plans to continue rebuilding Dale.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Thorin spent a good amount of time going over what Fili had told him regarding Bilbo's message. They could have been very happy.... Of course they would be! They had grown close - at least in Thorin's mind - and they rarely had cross words once Thorin had accepted Bilbo for who he was and what he offered to the Company. He'd been invaluable.  
  
And had such adorable mannerisms too. Always polite. Always just... _Bilbo._ And his smile was intoxicating, as was his freshness and innocence. The looks they'd share every now and then spoke of something deeper and...

Thorin stopped dead in his tracks and face palmed in a most non majestic way. What a FOOL he had been! Bilbo must have thought him passing out was an insult on everything. It HAD to be that. 'Be happy here. We'd be happy here.'  
  
"Oh Bilbo, what have I done?" He muttered and stormed back to his room, gathering what he'd need for the trip to fetch Bilbo. There was no way he'd gone far.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Bilbo rode as far as he dared at top speed. He wanted to put as much distance between him and Thorin as he could before the dwarf decided to come after him but he did not want to do lasting damage to the poor pony. The poor creature had done nothing to deserve it. It wasn't her fault that he was fleeing from a mad Dwarf that was pursuing him. For there was no doubt in his mind that the king would at least _try_ to bring him back. He only hoped that if he made it difficult for him Thorin would give up and go home. Surely one little hobbit wasn't worth too much trouble on his part. He knew that it was a futile hope--Thorin was the most stubborn being he had ever had the displeasure of meeting--but it was a hope he clung to nonetheless.  
  
He had also thought that physical distance would make the hurt of what had happened lessen but had found that wasn't the case. Every stride the pony took away from Erebor only increased the pain that he felt. It was almost as if he had left his heart in the Mountain and every step he took away from it stretched the connection between him and it. He wondered how far it could stretch before it broke. He hoped that it would break before he made it to the Shire because if leaving hurt this much so close he could only imagine how much it would hurt with the bulk of Middle Earth between him and his heart.  
  
Again he felt something akin to hatred well within him. Curse Thorin! Curse him! How could he had put Bilbo in such a position? He felt tears sting his eyes at what he had been forced into. He had fled Erebor in the middle of the night. Bofur, Ori, Balin ... he hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. Thorin had made it so that he had to sneak away. This was all Thorin's fault. Or Bilbo's. If only he hadn't allowed himself to love Thorin none of this would have ever happened. He wouldn't have declared his love for the dwarf, because there would have been nothing to declare, and he would never have gotten his heart broken and decided to leave so Thorin would never have tried to imprison him and he would still be back there with the people he loved most in the world.

As the sun finally began to dawn Bilbo wondered what they would do once they discovered he was gone. Bombur would just now be starting breakfast. Fili and Kili would be complaining about the lack of proper ale. Bofur would be having a smoke with his feet on the table much to Dori's dismay because of the poor example it set for Ori. And while all of this was happening back there, Bilbo ... well he was eating cram and drinking from a waterskin again as he attempted to make camp in the wilderness alone. For the first time since the night on the carrock, Bilbo felt entirely too small to be alone in the world. As he lay down to sleep, he couldn't stop the tears that flowed down his cheeks at the cruelness of fate.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Thorin had his pony saddled and was packed up in no time. He galloped off, heading to Dale fairly positive that was where his Hobbit had gone. He'd get there, find Bilbo, talk sense into his thick skull and bring him home where he belonged.  
  
Home with Thorin. With him in every sense of the word.  
  
As he drew into the town, a few folk who were out stopped to watch his mad ride, some barely getting out of his way in time. Thorin's sights were set on Bard's home for he knew that was the only place Bilbo knew of and no doubt felt comfortable at.  
  
He drew his pony up to a stop and slid off, striding to the front door where he knocked on it. As Bard opened it, he didn't seem surprised to see the King standing there, breathing a little heavy from the fast ride he'd just taken. Before Thorin could ask, Bard gave a little shrug and said, "He's not here. But he WAS. And he left a message for you. He said he will always miss you."  
  
Thorin was silent for a moment, being unprepared for such a short announcement, figuring he'd have to explain to the man what was going on. "That's all he said? Where was he headed? Which way?" It was a dumb question; Thorin knew he was heading to the Shire, but he was panicking slightly. Bilbo really WAS… no... HAD left....  
  
"That's all she wrote, Thorin." Was Bards shrugged reply. "Are you going back to Erebor or are you going to fetch him back?"  
  
Thorin's glare as he swung up on to the saddle was the only reply Bard needed. He chuckled and held up a hand. "Hold on. I have a bag of food and other supplies prepared for you. I did this up after I did one up for Bilbo."  
  
"You... helped Bilbo?" Thorin softly said, his eyes softening at the unexpected show of class from the man, who nodded as he reached inside the door and pulled out a decent sized bag packed tightly with things.  
  
"Of course I did, just as I'm doing for you. Both of you are good people and, despite not knowing what happened," Bard tied the bag securely to the back of Thorin's saddle and smiled up at the King, "I'm still rooting for the two of you to work it out and come to a decision which will benefit you both and take that snarl from your faces - both of you. Now get going. He galloped hard out of here about an hour ago. I wish you well on your trip with no enemies to slow your pace."

Thorin held his eyes before giving a small bow of his head. "I thank you deeply, Bard. This will not be forgotten."  
  
He was gone then, only a cloud of dust leaving any proof he'd been there moments prior. Bard smiled, shook his head and retired back inside his house to get another few hours of shuteye.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Bilbo started awake suddenly at a sound. He wasn't sure what it had been, but it had been near enough to him that it set his heart racing. It was with no small amount of panic that he reached for the hilt of the little sword that he wore. Not for the first time he was glad that Thorin had taken the time to teach him to use it. He was alone now. There was no one to help him if he ran into trouble. At the thought he almost began to cry again before he swallowed down his tears. He was done crying. Thorin had made his decision and Bilbo had made his. There was no use crying about it now.  
  
As irritating as it was to have been woken in such a manner, it was also a good thing. Even if Bilbo had only managed to get a few short hours of sleep he would be better served in travel than abed. He knew that Thorin would be coming behind him. He was still far too close to the Mountain for the king to have given up the search. It was with that in mind that Bilbo stood and packed up his meager camp before resaddling his poor pony and setting out at a gallop once more.  
  
He knew that no matter how much of a disadvantage his size would be in a fight, in the race he was currently running it would aid him greatly. Thorin, even without his armor and weapons, outweighed Bilbo by quite a bit. His lighter weight would enable his pony to make better time than Thorin's would be capable of. That, plus his head start, gave him a chance of escape. He only hoped that Bard had managed to stall Thorin and give him a bit more time.


	4. A Murky Confrontation

Bilbo wasn't sure just how many days had passed since he had fled the mountain. He had been taking sleep whenever the need hit him and mostly during the day when it was safer to rest. Eventually he found himself at the eves of Mirkwood. It was the last place in the world that he wanted to enter but there was no way to avoid it. There was only one path that he knew to return home and that path led through the forest. He could only hope that Mirkwood would prove more hospitable this time around than it had the first.   
  
Steeling himself against the long dankness of the forest, he nudged his pony forward. His only solace was that the trip would take less time mounted than it had on foot. His mind reminded him that even though the going would be easier, he would still have the dark river to contend with and that this time there were no dwarves to help with the crossing. With another sigh he pushed that thought from his mind. He would deal with that problem when he came to it.   
  
He had been in Mirkwood less than a day when he heard merry voices on the path before him, growing closer with each passing second. A smile crossed the hobbit's face as he heard a voice that sounded surprisingly like Thorin's scoff about the inability of Elves to travel in a blasted forest without making a racket. It was with a sick sense of satisfaction that Bilbo hailed the Elves, something that would have infuriated Thorin to no end had he seen it. He was even more pleased to note that Thranduil himself was in the party.  
  
"Master Hobbit!" the Elf King said warmly. "What brings you into my realm a second time? I had assumed that you would remain in the Lonely Mountain until such time as you passed beyond this world. Why do you now travel alone?"  
  
"It is a long tale, my King and one that I am afraid I do not have time to tell and do justice to," Bilbo replied amicably. "Suffice it to say that I have grown weary of the company of dwarves and seek refuge with my own people."  
  
"Dwarves or the King Under the Mountain?" Thranduil asked shrewdly. Bilbo had to laugh at the Elf's ability to see the truth.  
  
"The same," Bilbo replied. "He and I had a bit of a falling out. In that he wanted me to remain despite not wanting me in the same way that I wanted him. He is why I do not have time to tell you more. I fear that he will seek to drag me back with him to fulfill his last threat to me."  
  
"Thorin is particularly stubborn, even as far as dwarves go," Thranduil replied with a sigh. "Do you truly believe that he will pursue you this far. Mirkwood is some distance from his realm. Would he truly leave such a new kingdom without its king to collect one hobbit?"  
  
"I think you underestimate Thorin's tenacity, O king," Bilbo replied. "He will pursue me all the way to the Shire if he believes that he will accomplish his goals. That is why I must make haste. If I may ask my leave of you and be on my way."  
  
"I will do more for you than that, Bilbo Baggins," the Elf King replied. "You did a brave thing in defying Thorin as you did for our sake. I will send this troupe with you. They will see you safely through the forest. Mirkwood has grown less dark since the Necromancer was defeated but it is still not safe. I will also aid you in another way if you wish. If Thorin _does_ come I can make him my involuntary guest for a bit to give you more of an advantage."  
  
BIlbo felt a smirk cross his face at the idea of Thorin being imprisoned as he had threatened to do to him before it fell. "Thank you for the offer but I am afraid that I will have to decline it," Bilbo replied. "Imprisoning the King of Erebor might cause strife between you and the mountain. I _would_ ask that you give him a message for me if you do see him."  
  
"What is your message, Bilbo?" Thranduil asked with a smile for the small creature before him.  
  
"Tell him . . . Tell him that I am impressed that he has made it this far but that no matter how far he chases me I will never willingly return to be locked away. He had a chance and . . . I am not near as forgiving as he would like to believe." The elf king laughed at the message. It would give him great pleasure to tell Thorin Oakenshield that!  
  
"I will deliver your message personally," Thranduil promised. "Farewell Bilbo Baggins. I hope that if I ever do see you again you are not tied to the pommel of the Dwarf King's saddle."  
  
"I hope so as well," Bilbo replied before bowing to the Elf and moving off with the host deeper into the heart of the forest.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Thorin was riding hard, pushing Minty to the point that she would soon drop from exhaustion. The King was rather miffed that he'd not caught up with the Hobbit yet and he'd let out quite a few frustrated growls. He swore to himself that he'd give Bilbo a tall piece of his mind once he found him again.   
  
And he _was_  going to find him if he had to travel every inch of Arda to do so. For now though, he had to give Minty a breather.   
  
Once he was on his way again, Thorin rode a little less fast paced, though not by much. Every minute he wasted was a half mile Bilbo drew away from him and he was going to have the Hobbit at his side by nightfall if it was the last thing he did. Of course, he would have to navigate the wretched Murkwood Forest and if those malevolent creatures were still infesting the wood, it could delay him even more. There was no other way around it so he had to take the chance.   
  
He also worried about the spiders. There was no way he'd survive an attack on his own. A louder growl escaped Thorin's lips and Minty's ears flickered back to him once before perking up again.   
  
The day was half done before the King entered the Realm of the Murkwood Elves. Though it wasn't too wise to take the trails faster than a gentle trot, Thorin had Minty going at a slow canter, keeping his eyes and ears wide open for any sign of trouble. His hand lay at his thigh, ready to grab Orcrist if necessary, but the woods were shockingly quiet.   
  
Any other time, 'quiet' would bring Thorin a feeling of safety, but he knew first hand the dangers of the woods. He knew, too, how the Elves were silent watchers and there was no doubt in his mind that he was being watched - no doubt even before his arrival into their territory. Any moment now the King knew he'd be surrounded and no doubt tossed back into the dungeons as pay back for the escape earlier. This time Bilbo wouldn't be there to rescue him as he did once before.   
  
For the first time, Thorin felt that perhaps he was unwise to have taken that route, but as the hours passed with no sign of Elven Guards stopping him, the King slowly let himself relax a little.

As things always worked out, Minty followed a sharp curve in the path and Thorin pulled her to a stop with a soft cuss in Khuzdul as the path ahead was blocked by about six Elven Guards with Thranduil sitting atop his Elk, playing with his fingernails in a bored fashion.   
  
"I thought I heard a familiar gait coming through my woods." Thranduil said in his silky voice. His head tilted slightly and a smile teased the corner of his lips. "I thought I smelled _Dwarf,_ too, and lo and behold, here you are. I must ask, what brings you through my territory again? Do not tell me you are tired of Erebor and wish to return to your old home? I cannot see any other reason for your return - unless you wished to make peace with us?"   
  
"Hardly that." Thorin growled, eyes not leaving those of the Elven King. "I'm not here to cause issue, though. I am on a mission of sort."   
  
"I'd ask your mission but for two reasons." Thranduil lazily replied. "One being that you'd not tell me the truth anyway," the Guards chuckled at that, "and the other being that I already know why you're passing through."   
  
"Bilbo came through, didn't he." Thorin stated and inwardly let out a mental sigh of relief at the other King's single nod.   
  
"He did, yes. And he seemed very... determined to stay his course and get through Murkwood quickly as possible. I, of course, let him pass and allowed a few of my Guards to ride with him to assure him safe passage. The woods, after all, are not fully safe yet."   
  
Thorin took in the words, blinked, and softly said, "You gave him an escort to ensure his safety?"   
  
Thranduil could read the relief all over Thorin but he didn't point it out due to the principle of the matter. Instead he merely gave another single nod, "I did, yes. He left quite a few hours ago and was riding as hard as the woods allow. However we did discuss if I should imprison you or not, given how you slipped out of my grasp before. Remember that, Thorin? _No_  one escapes my dungeons - and yet you and your Company did and almost made me a laughingstock for it."

With his words, Thorin's hand twitched to move to Orcrist but Thranduil held up a hand, stilling the Dwarven King's motions. "Do not be so hasty to pull your weapon when you have not heard all I wish to say, Thorin Oakenshield. That would hardly be wise considering there is one of you - and many of us. You forgot so easily that I have eyes all over these woods? No, you have not. I allowed Bilbo to pass after we discussed me imprisoning you again. For a moment it seemed the Hobbit liked the idea - it would keep you off his trail for a good spell until he was far enough away - but then he dismissed the idea. He instead went on his way, but not before giving me a message to give you."   
  
Thorin let out a little sound, the tenseness leaving him just slightly with the fact that Bilbo had denied allowing Thranduil to lock him up - though the Elven King really didn't _have_  to take the request of the Hobbit - and he finally nodded. "What is the message?"   
  
"He told me to tell you that he is impressed you made it this far," he ignored Thorin's groan though inwardly Thranduil chuckled at the other King's discomfort, "but no matter how far you chase him, he will never willingly return with you to be locked away. You had your chance and he is not near as forgiving as you'd like to believe. This is his message word for word. I have delivered it and now I shall take my leave. Safe travels to you, Thorin Oakenshield."   
  
Thranduil started to turn his Elk but then paused. "I do not know what issues you and the Hobbit have, but know this. I will not be pleased if I find out you harmed him or do ultimately lock him away like a common prisoner. You _will_  grace my own dungeons until your maker takes you back, make no mistake on what I say." He paused a few moments to ensure his words sunk in and then finished. "But until you do so, I will offer you the same escort that I offered the Hobbit. Unless you'd like to cross the river by your own means, of course."

Thorin glared for a few moments and then, with a small breath out, he nodded. "I will accept your aid, Thranduil. And no, I am not pursuing him to lock him up. There was a grave misunderstanding and before I could explain my words, he was gone. I am going to have a lot of work to do to make things right."   
  
Thranduil studied him for a few minutes before nodding. "That you will, indeed. I shall take my leave now and I trust when we meet again, you shall have the Hobbit with you, willingly, and we can share a meal together." With a look to two of his guards, they moved forward while Thranduil made his way into the woods, soon swallowed up by the trees and darkness.


End file.
